Bishop Michael Martin greets a couple outside St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte Oct. 27 after celebrating the Diocese of Charlotte's annual Wedding Anniversary Mass for those marking 25, 50 or more years of marriage.
CHARLOTTE — Twenty-five years ago, Steve and Debbie Wise of Mooresville commemorated their wedding anniversary at a special Mass for married couples celebrated by the late Bishop William Curlin.
On Oct. 27, they marked another milestone – 50 years together – by attending the Wedding Anniversary Mass celebrated by Bishop Michael Martin.
About 60 couples packed the pews inside St. Patrick Cathedral for the event honoring couples who have been married for 25 years, 50 years or more. The annual event is sponsored by the Diocese of Charlotte’s Family Life Office. This was Bishop Martin’s first time celebrating the annual Mass – an occasion for couples to renew their commitment to God and each other as they receive blessings and a special message.
‘Your faithfulness inspires me. It inspires others, too. Thank you for the hard work of love.’ — Bishop Michael Martin
The bishop’s homily focused on the importance of marriage and the strong and moving witness of couples who have remained together for decades.
“Marriage strikes me as a tremendous act of faith, because on their wedding day, that couple isn’t just promising to love the person they are marrying that day, but to love the person they will become,” he said. “As each of you has grown and become who you’ve become, your spouse was called to love you because they said they would. That’s a great act of faith.”
He called married couples “the muscle of the human experience” and praised them for continuing to show love for each other even when it was difficult.
“Sometimes spouses sin, and we’ve got to do double lifting when they do, especially when they’re not living up to their end,” he said. “That is the time when fidelity and constancy come in.”
Bishop Martin said couples who put Christ at the center of their marriage can do great things.
“Your faithfulness inspires me,” Bishop Martin said. “It inspires others, too. Thank you for the hard work of love. It’s wonderful. It has beautiful and great moments, but it is also hard work. There is no retirement from the work of married life … work at it daily and remain always in God’s love.”
After his homily, the couples renewed their commitment to each other. They turned to each other in the pews, held hands and followed along with the renewal of vows led by Bishop Martin. Both husbands and wives recited a moving passage on the commitment required for a successful marriage.
“Blessed are You, Lord, for in the good and the bad times of our life You have stood lovingly by our side. Help us, we pray, to remain faithful in our love for one another, so that we may be true witnesses to the covenant you have made with humankind,” they responded.
Bishop Martin then offered a blessing of the couples’ wedding rings as tangible symbols of their faithfulness to each other.
After the Mass, the bishop posed for photos with the couples, and they received certificates commemorating their anniversaries at a reception that followed in the parish hall. 
Deborah and Joseph Mirco, members of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Lenoir, said the event was a wonderful way to celebrate their 50th anniversary.
“We both decided this year that if we didn’t do anything else for our anniversary, we were going to make sure to be here for this, especially with the new bishop officiating,” Deborah Mirco said.
The Mircos appreciated the fact that Bishop Martin encouraged couples to share their faith with their grandchildren. Their three daughters and five grandchildren are all deeply engaged with their faith, they said, but it’s important to remind others to pass the faith on and to share the role it’s played in their marriages.
“It’s also important to remember that in marriage you need to smile and laugh a lot, and you need to pray,” Joseph Mirco said.
The Wises were thankful for the chance to celebrate a second milestone anniversary in the presence of a bishop. Debbie Wise brought a photo of their 25th anniversary with Bishop Curlin and showed it to Bishop Martin during the reception.
Said Debbie Wise, “This event today was wonderful, especially the homily, because it felt like Bishop Martin was speaking personally to all of us.”
— Christina Lee Knauss. Photos by Sean Richárd.